Cleaning the skin is a personal hygiene problem not always easily solved. Dry tissue products are the most commonly used cleansing products post-defecation, post-urination and during menstruation. Dry tissue products are also commonly used to remove soils, such as food and dirt, from the skin. Dry tissue products, such as those commonly used, are generally referred to as “toilet paper,” “toilet tissue,” or “paper towels.” In addition to the use of dry tissue products, it is becoming increasingly frequent to use moistened substrates, such as wet wipes, for the purpose of cleansing the face and body after soiling, and the anus, the genital area, the perinea, and the peri-anal area after the voiding of bodily exudates. So called “wet wipes” are generally a fibrous structure impregnated with a water or oil-based lotion.
For the purpose of the present document, the anus, the perinea, the perineal area and the vulvar area are all terms indicating the body area of the pelvis between, around and including the anus and the external genitalia.
Both the perineal area and the vulvar area are marked by the presence of fine folds/wrinkles (sulci) and hair follicles, both of which make these regions more difficult anatomical areas to cleanse. During defecation, fecal matter is excreted through the anus and tends to accumulate in hard to reach locations such as around the base of hairs and in the sulci of the skin's surface. During menstruation, menses may accumulate on the skin and hair after the use of a sanitary napkin. As the fecal or menstrual matter dehydrates upon exposure to air or upon contact with an absorbent implement such as tissue paper, diaper, or sanitary napkin, it adheres more tenaciously to the skin and hair. Subsequent removal of the remaining dehydrated exudates may be even more difficult and may result in inadequate cleansing. Among those negatives associated with the failure of adequate cleansing are irritation, redness, desquamation, infections, unpleasant odor, or other kinds of personal discomfort or health related issues.
People suffering from pathological conditions (such as hemorrhoids, fissures, cryptitis, etc.) are even more susceptible to the negatives listed above. Common hygienic concerns make the benefits of a good cleansing after defecation, menstruation, and urination very relevant to babies, toddlers, children and adults. Cleansing must be efficient in terms of removal of residues and gentle in terms of absence of irritation caused by the cleansing. Wet-wipes bring a response to that basic need.
In comparison to dry tissue products, wet wipes have several benefits including:                The enabling of a better lubrication during the use of the wipe, thereby reducing the abrasiveness of the cleansing operation;        The hydration of the residues, thus enhancing their removal from the skin or hair;        The hydration of the skin tissue; and        The ability to deliver a soothing or protective lotion to the skin that can remain on the skin after the cleansing operation.        
Manufacturers of wet wipes have tried to develop wipes products that deliver the right balance between normally antagonistic concepts such as:                Enhancing the removal of soil while protecting the skin from irritation and abrasion.        The long lasting feeling of comfortable cleanliness while avoiding a greasy feeling on the skin.        
There still remains a need not only for a wet wipe that cleans effectively but that also simultaneously reduces or prevents the adhesion of soils or exudates to the skin. Such a wipe would greatly facilitate cleansing. The facilitation of cleansing by such a wipe may be reflected by a reduced deposition of soils or exudates on the skin from subsequent insults. As a result, there may be a reduction in the amount of soils or exudates on the skin at the time of the next cleaning, easier removal of the soils or exudates from the skin resulting in less abrasive damage, reduced smearing of the soils or exudates on the skin, and/or improved capture/retention of the soils or exudates on a substrate, such as a wet wipe, or within an absorbent article. The net result may be that the time and effort required by the individual to achieve a satisfactory state of cleanliness may be minimized.
There exists a further need for a wet wipe that substantially reduces or prevents adhesion of soils or exudates to the skin in a manner that is transparent to the individual using the wipe, i.e. does not require a change in habit such as the use of a separate wipe or leave an undesirable greasy layer on the skin surface.